Farrier Talk with Tommy Boudreau Part 4

In this episode, master farrier, Tommy Boudreau, discusses the importance of the relationship the farrier has with not only the trainer but also vets who take care of the horses. Tommy truly feels it’s a team effort to keep these horses feeling their best and performing at the highest level and will often also talk to lopers, grooms and barn help to gather information about the characteristics of the horses and look for potential clues to treat or prevent possible problems.

Tommy also discussed how the art of shoeing has changed over the years but still revolves around the basic principles. He mentioned the fact that-

“We are still taking a piece of iron and bending to the perimeter of the foot, and we’re nailing it on”

One of the biggest advancements over the years has been the introduction of X-Rays and the ability to accurately gage “breakover” and “angles” within the anatomy of the foot and help farriers make better decisions on how they trim or shoe a horse.

Watch Episode #4 below:

Tune in next week to see the "Weirdest" shoe Tommy has ever built and some of the extra things he's working on now.